The Shadow Realm

- Prologue -

The sun's rays flooded every house, every inch of every room, in the whole town. Everything was normal. The thing about life-shattering days is that you don't know it's a life-shattering day until it's too late. That was the perfect description of that day. As the sun neared 8 o'clock, life began to stir. The people of Lockwood Cove were roused by the morning sun. The animals ran about, chasing one another's tails. Ants began marching out of their nests. Hummingbirds and songbirds fluttered about, twittering the morning's song.

Women went about watering their chrysanthemums and lotuses as their children danced and played, bathing in the golden sunlight of the morning shine. Next to the small cottage of 37 Lockwood Avenue, Eleanor was dancing about, twirling and leaping through her garden with her cat, Lyric. Her pastel blue dress fluttered in the morning breeze, the ribbon in her dirty-blonde hair flying behind her.

The day was hers. It was all hers. Her 16th birthday. From now on, she would be travelling to great places in the Light Realm with her father.

With Lyric following behind her, she skipped and danced and twirled all the way to the village. Her friends waved, and she waved back. The baker tossed her a french roll and she tossed him a small jar of homemade jam. The librarian handed her a new book, and she handed her a bag of old ones. Right at the centre of the village was a small bank. Not a very fancy bank. Just a small building with many safes.

"Good morning, El. How are you?" A sweet and familiar voice greeted her at the door.

"Good, Mila." Eleanor tilted her head in her friend's direction. "You?"

"Same here. Nice day, isn't it? Happy birthday, by the way!" Mila tucked her hand into her pocket, and pulled out a small box, wrapped up in pastel rainbow paper.

"Thank you!"

Eleanor waved a quick goodbye and picked Lyric up. She strolled to the small, silver safe at the end of the corridor, vault 12. A fancy silver key went into the lock, and the door twisted open. Inside were small piles of gold and silver coins, with a stack of notes at the back. She collected exactly 5 of each coin and note, and off she went.

To the park, to a friend's house, to school. The halls were packed with students just like her, recently 16 or turning 16. She, along with many others, dipped their heads in acknowledgment of her special day. She knew many people, helped them, waved, yet she didn't have many friends. If she did, then there would be no sad, mournful story to tell, for she would live happily ever after with her best friends and probably a boyfriend too, for she was sixteen.

Most would make excuses, like 'oh, she's just too quiet' or 'my friends don't like her'. The truth was, she was a very kind and adventurous girl, but many people scrunched up their noses and turned their faces because of one thing: she was pretty.

She knew they were just jealous, but acted otherwise in her presence. Still she didn't care, for she had everything; a loving family, her kitten Lyric and her one and only human friend, Mila. She loved them dearly, and would not even accept a second life to lose them.

This beautiful day as described above started like any other. This time, there was a twist, and Eleanor's bright and peaceful life took a dark turn, quite literally.

[Hey readers! Hope you enjoyed this part, get ready for Chapter One!]